


The Fugitive At The Lake

by writesometimes



Series: Undercover Lovers [2]
Category: Psych
Genre: Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Flirting, M/M, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 01:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15037841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writesometimes/pseuds/writesometimes
Summary: Shawn chewed his bottom lip.This whole thinghad been about a month of some serious over the pants under the shirt action between he and Lassiter. Sure, it had taken being undercover as a couple and being locked in a cellar by a crazy woman with a gun to get them there, but Shawn wasn't going to complain.





	The Fugitive At The Lake

**Author's Note:**

> This is a follow up to ['Though It's Easy To Pretend'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14834124) so it will probably make more sense if you start there :)

Lassiter rolled over in bed, eyes still shut. He thought he could hear Elvis crooning from his nightstand, but he ignored it and tried to fall back asleep. He enjoyed a brief reprieve from the sound before it started all over again.

_Don't you know I'm caught in a trap_  
_I can't walk out_  
_Because I love you too much, baby_

He groaned and sat up in bed, pulling his phone from the charger on his nightstand. "Lassiter," he grumbled into his cell.

"Lassie!" Shawn replied sweetly.

Lassiter squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "Spencer," he grit out.

"I thought we agreed you were only going to call me 'Spencer' when you were mad at me."

"I _am_  mad at you. It's my day off. I was sleeping in." Lassiter flopped back down onto his mattress and pulled the covers up. "Aren't you supposed to be on some 'BFF vacation' in Tahoe with Guster right now anyway?"

"I am in Tahoe with Gus," Shawn said. 

"Then why are you calling me? And why did you change your ringtone to _Suspicious Minds_  on my phone?"

"Because it just felt right," Shawn laughed.

Lassiter opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Not very subtle if we're trying to keep this whole thing quiet."

Shawn chewed his bottom lip. _This whole thing_  had been about a month of some serious over the pants under the shirt action between he and Lassiter. Sure, it had taken being undercover as a couple and being locked in a cellar by a crazy woman with a gun to get them there, but Shawn wasn't going to complain. He didn't even complain when Lassiter insisted they keep _this whole thing_  quiet. He understood. In Lassiter's line of work it wasn't exactly easy to confess to dating a coworker. He felt kind of bad about keeping it from Gus but he understood, so he honored Lassiter's wish.

"Lassie, come on, everyone's just gonna think I'm messing with you. Which I kind of am. No one's going to read too much into a ringtone."

Lassiter sighed. "Why do you still insist on driving me crazy?"

"What, just 'cause I've had my tongue in your mouth and around your navel I'm supposed to stop pestering you?" Shawn chuckled. 

Lassiter groaned and sat back up in his bed. "What do you want, Shawn?"

"Just wanted to call and say hello. I miss you. Tahoe is nice in October. I think I may have seen Gaston at a bar up here last night. You know, nothing important," Shawn rambled.

Lassiter was out of bed instantly. "Gaston? As in the antiquities smuggler I was undercover trying catch? The man who's wife held us at gunpoint in a cellar? The _dangerous_  man we didn't catch? Shawn, please tell me you didn't do anything stupid!"

Shawn scoffed. "Please, Lassie, I'm not stupid."

Lassiter hummed in irritation.

"Okay, so I'm not _that_  stupid. Our covers were definitely blown that night at the mansion with Shelly, I wasn't just going to stroll right up to him and say hi. I don't want to be held at gunpoint in a cellar again. At least not without you."

"Shawn," Lassiter said with an edge to his voice. "What's he doing in Tahoe?"

"I don't know, swindling some poor, elderly widow out of her life savings? Or something else terrible for money? We left the bar immediately when I saw him. But it was definitely him. Get up here!" 

"I don't have jurisdiction up there. I doubt the Chief will let me go all the way up there to work the case. What do you expect me to do?"

"Use some of that vacation time you've racked up over the years. Come up here and then once you just _suddenly_  spot Gaston while on vacation, call the Chief and ask her to inform the local PD and see if you can get in on the case!"

Lassiter cocked his head to the side. "I guess that could work."

"Exactly! Get up here, Lassie. Grab a pen I'll tell you where we're staying."

Lassiter dug a pen out of his nightstand and scrawled the name of Shawn's hotel on his palm. As soon as he was off the phone with him, he called the Chief and put in for some vacation time. She'd been a little shocked, but told him to have a good time. He pulled a bag out of his closet and started packing.

* * *

Lassiter put his car in park and pulled the keys from the ignition. The drive to Tahoe had taken quite a while, and the sun had long since set, but he'd made it. He was tired and his legs were asleep from being stuffed in the car all day and he was starving. He tried his hardest not to be grouchy about it all. 

The cold air hit him as soon as he stepped out of his car and he shivered. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and sent a text to Shawn to let him know he'd arrived. Immediately, his phone buzzed.

_I'm on the ground floor just come to the back patio. I put a pineapple in my window, you can't miss it_

Lassiter wandered through the open-air hotel complex and searched diligently for a room with a pineapple sitting in the window. He rolled his eyes as he found it and knocked softly on the door. 

"Lassie," Shawn whispered demurely as he cracked the door open and poked his head out.

Lassiter couldn't help but smile. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed Shawn. "Where's Guster?" he asked, looking around quickly. 

"Next door, we got adjoining rooms," Shawn explained. 

Lassiter glanced around one last time before he leaned over and quickly pecked Shawn on the lips. Shawn hummed contentedly and gave him a lazy smile. 

"Are you going to invite me in or am I going to freeze to death out here?" Lassiter grumbled as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets. 

"Oh, do you want to come in and _warm up_ , detective?" Shawn asked in a husky voice. 

Lassiter turned a bit pink and sighed. "I'm seriously freezing it's like thirty-four degrees out here, Shawn."

Shawn opened the door wider and let Lassiter slip inside. It was a nice room, dark red comforter on a king-sized bed, rustic pine wood furniture, and even a small kitchenette. Lassiter nodded slowly as he took it all in. 

"Pretty sweet, right?" Shawn said as he stepped behind Lassiter and wrapped his arms around his waist. 

Lassiter turned to face Shawn. "It's very nice. What can you tell me about Gaston being here?"

Shawn pouted. "Really? You drive eight hours all the way up here, see this idyllic landscape and this plush hotel room and my alluring, form fitting sweater and you wanna talk business?"

"Shawn, I've been driving all day. I'm tired, my legs are numb, and I'm starving," Lassiter sighed as he untangled himself from the shorter man's grasp.

Shawn shuffled into the kitchenette and threw open a cabinet. "I brought a bounty of snacks," he said dramatically. "Also, they have pretty good room service here."

Lassiter craned his neck and scanned the contents of the cabinet. "I'll take some of the Wheat Thins. Where's the room service menu?"

Shawn nodded toward the nightstand as he poured out a bowl of crackers. Lassiter dropped his bag by the door and plopped down on the side of the bed inelegantly, scanning the room service menu. After a moment of brief consideration he picked up the phone and placed an order. Shawn shoved the bowl of crackers at Lassiter as he hung up.

Shawn sat down on the bed next to Lassiter and watched with a smile on his face as the detective scarfed down a few crackers. "You weren't kidding about being hungry," he laughed.

"Eight. Hours. In. The. Car," Lassiter said between bites. 

Shawn chuckled softly and rested his hand on Lassiter's knee. "You poor baby," he cooed as he rubbed gently at the detective's knee. 

Lassiter rolled his eyes and shoved another cracker in his mouth. "Where'd you see Gaston last night?" he asked as he brushed crumbs off his chest.

"This sweet lake-side bar Gus and I went to. At first I wasn't sure it was him but then I heard him laugh and --" Shawn just shrugged.

Lassiter nodded. "He did have that pompous, unmistakable laugh."

"He was there with a woman. It looked flirty. Gus and I didn't stick around too much longer to find out though."

"He sure moved on quickly after his wife went to prison."

"Yeah, well, she did kinda leave him stranded in the middle of nowhere on the beach, at night, while she went back to the mansion to kill us 'cause he was 'too weak' to do it himself. I'd say they'd had some relationship issues for a while," Shawn reasoned as he stole a cracker from the bowl.

"None of that changes the fact that he's still a dangerous and wanted criminal. I wonder what he's doing up here, why he didn't leave the state," Lassiter mused.

A knock at the door startled Lassiter and he immediately reached for his gun. 

"Room service," a voice called from the hallway.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Easy boy," he said patting Lassiter on the head. "It's just your dinner."

Shawn answered the door with a wide grin and rolled the food cart inside the room, coming to a stop in front Lassiter. He tore into the food immediately. Shawn looked on in mild astonishment. "I think it's a testament of just how much I like you that I am not absolutely horrified right now," Shawn said as he watched Lassiter take a large bite of garlic bread.

Lassiter abruptly stopped eating and looked at Shawn, embarrassed . "Sorry, I told you, I'm starving." He shrugged and started eating again, albeit slower and more politely.

"You didn't take any snacks on the drive did you?" Shawn asked as he plopped down in the plush armchair across from the bed. Lassiter just shook his head. "Rookie mistake," Shawn chided.

Lassiter ignored him and finished his food. He pushed the food cart away slowly and stood up, making his way to the back door. He grabbed his bag from the floor and tossed it onto the bed and began pulling out his laptop and a pad of paper. "Okay, let's get to work then." He flung his laptop open eagerly.

Shawn stood up, crossed the room, and shut the laptop loudly. 

Lassiter glared at him. "Spencer, if we're gonna catch Gaston we can't waste any time." 

"I think we could waste just a _little_  bit of time," Shawn countered. He stared up through his lashes into Lassiter's blue eyes.

Lassiter swallowed thickly and licked his lips. 

"We're out here in a nice hotel, miles away from home. It's so cold outside and warm and cozy in here. There's a king sized bed," Shawn went on, placing his hands on Lassiter's chest.

Lassiter inched closer to Shawn. "This better not have all been some stupid plan to get me up here so you could finally get in my pants, Shawn," he murmured.

Shawn chuckled quietly. "You know I would have just called you and asked you to come up here so I could finally get in your pants, Lassie."

Lassiter smiled. "You're terrible," he laughed.

"You love it, detective" Shawn whispered as he leaned up and kissed Lassiter softly.

Lassiter moaned as his eyes slipped closed and his lips fell open. Shawn eagerly deepened the kiss, sliding his hands down Lassiter's chest to rest on his belt. Lassiter reached out blindly and tugged at the hem of Shawn's sweater.

Shawn pulled his head back slowly, ending the kiss. "Down, boy. I had some other ideas about how we'd start our evening," he said slyly as he undid Lassiter's belt. He slowly dropped to his knees and Lassiter's eyes went wide.

* * *

Gus knocked swiftly on the door between his and Shawn's rooms before he opened it. "Shawn, get up we're gonna be late for our skiing lesson with Tiffany!" he called as he entered the room. "She's recently single and you _know_  she's ready to ming --" he shrieked mid sentence as he rounded the corner. 

Shawn and Lassiter were sleeping, completely naked, limbs tangled up together on the large bed. Gus shrieked again as they both jerked awake and shot off the bed. He covered his eyes, shrieking, and tried to make his way back to his room. He tripped over a footstool and tumbled to the floor.

Shawn threw the comforter around his middle and made his way over to Gus. Lassiter ducked inside the bathroom. 

"Dude, dude, shhhh. Someone's gonna think I'm killing somebody in here," Shawn said loudly over Gus' shrieking.

"You killed my eyes Shawn!" Gus cried dramatically.

Shawn sighed and sat down on the floor next to his best friend. "Your eyes are fine."

Gus finally peeled his hands away from his face and looked at Shawn. "Why was Lassiter naked in your bed? What the hell is going on?"

"It's kinda hard to have sexy nighttime fun in all your clothes, Gus," Shawn said nonchalantly.

Gus shrieked again.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Shawn soothed. "I called him yesterday to tell him we saw Gaston up here, so he drove up to check it out."

"That doesn't explain the nudity, Shawn," Gus countered. 

"We've, uh, kinda been _seeing_  one another," Shawn explained sheepishly.

"For how long?" Gus asked in shock.

"Since the whole undercover case?" Shawn answered nervously.

"That was like a month ago!"

"I know, I know."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Shawn readjusted the comforter around his waist. "Lassie wanted to keep everything kinda quiet. And, honestly, I didn't really know how you'd react. Judging on how this whole thing has gone --"

"That's not fair!" Gus interjected. "I just walked in on the two of you naked in bed together! I was in shock!"

Shawn nodded. "Fair point. If it makes you feel better this is the first time we've done the full on nasty no-no."

Gus wrinkled his nose. "No, that does not make me feel better. And I don't wanna know that, Shawn."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

Gus thought for a minute before he glanced over at the bathroom. "Are you sure about this? He's kinda --" he squinted at the closed bathroom door and then shot Shawn a questioning look.

"Uptight and stuffy and grumpy? He can be. I think part of it was a lack of getting laid, to be honest. We can check that off the list now though," Shawn said proudly.

Gus shook his head in disapproval. "I don't wanna hear about it, Shawn. I didn't think you two even liked each other."

"Honestly, I kinda thought Lassie hated me until I had his tongue in my mouth out on Leadbetter beach," Shawn said honestly.

"Shawn!" 

"Sorry, I'm sorry, Gus."

At that moment Lassiter crept out of the bathroom, clad in a fluffy, red hotel robe. "Guster," he nodded curtly.

Gus gaped at him.

"I'm, uhm, sorry about... you seeing us, me and Shawn that is, in the bed --"

Gus held up his hands to stop Lassiter before he could expand on that thought. "I don't need another explanation right now," he grumbled.

Lassiter shot Shawn a worried look. 

_He'll be okay_  Shawn mouthed back silently.

Lassiter nodded apprehensively and sat down on the edge of the bed. He pulled the robe tighter around his middle.

"Gus, I'm sorry I didn't tell you and you had to find out this way," Shawn said seriously. 

Gus gave Shawn a sidelong glance. "I will forgive you. Eventually. I just need time to get over the... trauma."

Shawn smiled at Gus and helped him up off the floor. He walked him back to his room quickly.

"Are you really sure about this?" Gus whispered as he stepped back inside his own room.

"Dude, I'm _totally_  sure about this. I really, honestly like him. In a romantic fashion. And in a physical one. He's kind of awesome, Gus." Shawn looked back over his shoulder to where Lassiter was waiting patiently on the edge of the bed. "He looks so sexy in that robe oh my god, we're totally stealing that."

" _Shawn_!"

"I'm sorry, buddy. But I'm _really, totally_  sure about this. I feel actual romantic stuff and junk for him."

"Wow, I don't know why that isn't in a Hallmark Valentine's Day card. So romantic," Gus snarked.

Shawn gave him a pleading look. "Are we cool, man?"

Gus studied his best friend closely for a moment. "Yeah, we're cool. As long as you know what you're doing. If he makes you happy --" Gus just shrugged.

"Thanks, buddy," Shawn clapped Gus on the shoulder. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go shower and put on some clothes. We should, uh, probably keep this door locked now too."

Gus nodded emphatically. "Consider it deadbolted."

"Go take that skiing lesson without me, you've totally got this. Tiffany totally _is_  ready to mingle," Shawn said, giving Gus a wink. 

"You know that's right," Gus said smoothly.

Shawn chuckled and pulled the door shut behind him.

"Is he mad?" Lassiter asked quietly as Shawn walked back into the room. 

"Nah," Shawn shook his head, "He'll be okay. I think the whole _seeing us in the nude_  thing was more of a shock than anything else."

Lassiter worried his bottom lip. "Okay, good. I mean, not that he saw us naked, that he'll get over seeing us naked. And be okay with... us," he rambled nervously.

Shawn smiled warmly and sank down on the mattress next to Lassiter. "It's so cute that you're worried about my relationship with my best friend." He took Lassiter's hand in his own.

Lassiter gently bumped his shoulder against Shawn's. "I know you guys have been friends for a long time. I wouldn't want to ruin that for you."

"Aww, Lassie has a big heart," Shawn said rubbing Lassiter's chest. "And a big --"

Lassiter pressed a hasty kiss to Shawn's lips before he could finish his thought. Shawn moaned and reached down to untie Lassiter's hotel robe. Lassiter tugged the comforter from around Shawn's waist and dragged him toward the bathroom. "We _could_  save some time by showering together before we go out to look for Gaston," Lassiter said innocently.

"God, and you're smart too," Shawn laughed as nibbled his way down Lassiter's jaw. Lassiter moaned loudly as he slammed the bathroom door shut.

* * *

That afternoon Lassiter accompanied Shawn to the bar he and Gus had spotted Gaston in. It had some breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the pair claimed a table near a large window. Shawn reached across the table and linked his fingers with Lassiter's as he studied the menu. Lassiter looked up and glanced around the bar nervously.

"Don't worry, Lass, no one here cares. And Gus already knows. We don't have to be all secretive, it's fine. Enjoy yourself," Shawn said without taking his eyes off the menu.

Lassiter let out a deep sigh and squeezed Shawn's hand. "Where'd you see him?" he asked casually, changing the subject.

"In the far corner, big booth. He was ordering full bottles and everything. Really living it up," Shawn answered. 

Lassiter glanced at the corner booth. "You think he'll come back here?"

Their waiter approached and smiled politely at them before Shawn could respond. "Are you gentlemen ready to order?"

Shawn smiled back at the young man and glanced at his name tag. "Not quite, Jeremy, but I do have a quick question." The waiter nodded. "I was here last night and there was a guy partying it up over in that corner booth. I think we may have gone to high school together and I was wondering if you caught his name. I haven't seen him in ages!"

The waiter looked back at the bar counter, checking for his boss, before leaning in closer to the table. "Said his name was _Gaston_. He was here all night, partying it up. It was pretty crazy, but we all cleared so much in tips we didn't really care."

"Huh, must not have been David, honey," Shawn said sweetly to Lassiter. "I could have sworn it was him, how funny." Lassiter shot a worried glance at the waiter. Shawn laughed loudly and ordered two iced teas before Lassiter could fully panic.

Their waiter walked away and Shawn leaned across the table. "Relax, dude. He doesn't know who we are," he whispered to Lassiter.

Lassiter closed his menu and looked at Shawn seriously. "What if Gaston hears that people are asking about him?"

"Technically, we didn't ask about _him_. We asked about someone we thought was my friend from high school. It'll be fine, no one's gonna mention that to him," Shawn said confidently.

Jeremy returned, set their iced teas on the table, and they ordered lunch. They sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the view outside the window, before Shawn spoke. "Is this like, our first couple's vacation?" he asked excitedly.

"I guess... if you ignore the whole thing about me crashing your 'BFF vacation' with Gus to track down a wanted fugitive," Lassiter responded.

"How else would you expect our first couple's vacation to go?" Shawn laughed.

Lassiter nodded in agreement and took a drink of his iced tea. Shawn beamed at him and squirmed in his seat. "What?" Lassiter asked wearily.

"You didn't yell when I called us a _couple_ ," Shawn said in awe. 

Lassiter cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "I kind of thought, you know, we'd _been_  a couple. Since, well, the whole cellar thing," he muttered nervously. 

Shawn felt like doing cartwheels through the bar, but he reigned in his excitement so he wouldn't embarrass Lassiter. Instead, he pulled Lassiter's hand across the table and placed a kiss to the back of it. "I guess I should have figured that out after last night. And this morning in the shower. Amazing work by the way, _detective_ ," Shawn said seductively.

Lassiter turned a deep pink and fidgeted in his seat.

Shawn's eyes lit up. "You totally get off on me calling you _detective_ , don't you?" he whispered scandalously.

Lassiter inhaled sharply and stabbed his straw into his iced tea repeatedly. "It's, uhm, it's not the worst thing you call me," he admitted under his breath.

Shawn laughed loudly and kissed the back of Lassiter's hand again. "Detective," he murmured against his warm skin.

Lassiter squirmed again in his seat and began mentally counting down from one thousand. He got to eight hundred and seventy four before their waiter returned and brought them their lunch. Lassiter dug in immediately, eager to abandon the conversation he and Shawn were just having in the middle of a public bar. 

Shawn's hand darted over the table and snatched a fry off Lassiter's plate. Lassiter rolled his eyes and shoved his plate closer to Shawn's. "If you wanted fries instead of onion rings you should have ordered them," he admonished, stealing a few onion rings off Shawn's plate. 

"But then we couldn't share," Shawn pouted. He grabbed Lassiter's hand as he reached over again for another onion ring and pulled it to his mouth, taking a bite before he could steal it.

Lassiter smiled at Shawn and shook his head. He realized then that all of the qualities he'd thought made Shawn a pain in his ass, his impatience, impertinence, and immaturity, were all things that made Shawn Spencer who he was. And, god help him, he _adored_  Shawn. He leaned over the table and kissed the side of Shawn's mouth.

Shawn stared back at him, slack-jawed.

"You had some barbecue sauce," Lassiter quipped.

Shawn dropped his onion ring on his plate and wiped his fingers on his napkin. "Want to go back to the room and see how sturdy the island in the kitchenette is?" he asked, already trying to scramble out of his seat. 

Lassiter reached out and tugged Shawn back to the table. "Maybe later," he whispered. "Let's finish lunch and see if we figure anything else out about Gaston."

Shawn plopped back down in his seat and took another bite of his burger. "Fine. But we're totally testing it out later. Don't think I'll let you forget about it, detective."

Lassiter choked on his iced tea. Shawn smiled wickedly at him.

* * *

Evening descended quickly on Lake Tahoe and the temperature plummeted. Shawn tossed a few sweaters out of a dresser drawer. He and Lassiter had agreed to walk around the area that night, meander through the different shops and bars, take in the scenery, and try to stumble on Gaston. But Shawn had to find the perfect sweater first. 

Lassiter laughed airily as he watched Shawn dig through the dresser from across the room. 

"What?" Shawn asked as he turned to face Lassiter.

"You look like a mad man. Or a teenager getting ready for prom," Lassiter teased.

Shawn shut the dresser drawer and crossed the room to stand before Lassiter. "I'm sorry, I wanted to look nice for you, detective," he murmured. He reached up and popped open another button on the taller man's shirt. 

Lassiter cleared his throat and took a step back. "You look nice in all the sweaters you brought, just put one on."

"That was almost very sweet," Shawn called as he disappeared into the bathroom, snatching a navy sweater off the bed as he went. He pulled the sweater over his head and looked at himself in the mirror. When he turned to exit the bathroom, he noticed something on the glass shower doors. He snickered as he left the bathroom.

Lassiter furrowed his brow.

"Our hand prints are _all_  over those shower doors, dude," Shawn announced gleefully.

Lassiter walked over to the bathroom quickly and glanced inside. He sighed as he caught sight of the shower. "We should clean them up before the poor housekeeping staff has to see them."

Shawn grabbed a coat and some gloves off the armchair. "Whatever, Lass. I can tell you right now, that's nothing compared to some of the things they have to see on a daily basis."

Lassiter scrunched up his nose.

"Don't bother with it right now, anyway, we'll probably just make more later. Let's go out and see what we can find," Shawn said as he tugged on Lassiter's hand.

Lassiter turned off the bathroom light and followed Shawn out the back door and down a sidewalk leading away from the hotel. "It's freezing out here," he said in disbelief. 

"It snows in this part of the state you know," Shawn said sarcastically.

Lassiter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Shawn shuffled closer to him and linked their arms together. "You look nice in that coat," Shawn said quietly, his breath visible in the cold air. 

Lassiter hummed and tugged Shawn closer. "And you look nice in your sweater." He leaned down and placed a kiss to Shawn's temple.

Shawn laughed quietly as they strolled down the sidewalk. 

"We should probably check the bar first. See if he's 'partying it up' again," Lassiter said as he steered them toward the same bar they'd had lunch in earlier. They pressed their way through the crowd of drunk bodies now surrounding the place and walked inside. It was much darker and louder than it had been at lunch. Lassiter squinted as he scanned the bar. 

Shawn tugged forcefully at Lassiter's arm. "There!" he pointed to a large booth, "That's totally him!"

Lassiter swatted Shawn's hand down. "He's going to see you!" he hissed in Shawn's ear.

Shawn rolled his eyes and dragged Lassiter farther into the bar. "He's not exactly paying attention to life outside his booth right now."

Lassiter glanced over at the booth again. Gaston was pouring glass after glass of champagne, laughing and winking at a woman latched to his side. "We should still be careful," he reprimanded. 

Shawn spotted an open table a few feet away from Gaston's and pushed Lassiter through the bar. They dropped down into the open seats and hid their faces in their menus.

"What can I get you?" a young waitress asked as she bounced over to their table.

"We're still looking," Lassiter barked.

The young woman gave him a harsh look and wandered away from their table.

"Great, now when we do order drinks she's gonna spit in 'em," Shawn whined.

"We're not ordering drinks, Shawn. We're watching a wanted criminal. We have to be sober for that."

Shawn huffed an irritated sigh and closed his menu. "Are you going to call Chief Vick?"

"Right now?" Lassiter asked in astonishment.

"Yes, right now. You've seen him for yourself, you know he's here. Call the Chief and tell her so she can alert Tahoe PD and you can actually be asked to work the case," Shawn ranted. 

Lassiter pulled his phone out of his pocket. Shawn reached over and snatched it from his hands. Lassiter shot daggers at him from across the table.

"Relax, I'm gonna snap a quick pic so you have proof for Chief Vick," Shawn said nonchalantly as he launched the camera app. He took three pictures quickly and passed the phone back to Lassiter.

Lassiter stared at Shawn in disbelief for a moment before he scrolled through his contacts and placed a call to the Chief. He spoke loudly to be heard over the music, but covered his mouth to try and muffle his conversation at the same time. Shawn watched as Lassiter nodded quickly and pulled the phone from his ear to send the pictures to the Chief. He was nodding again as he put the phone back to his ear.

Shawn turned his attention back to Gaston. He was still knocking back champagne and laughing. He gesticulated wildly at someone in his booth and Shawn caught sight of a keycard inside his jacket pocket. He recognized the logo. It was a hotel just down the street from he and Gus had been staying. He put his hand to his temple and tugged on the sleeve of Lassiter's coat. 

Lassiter looked at him as he ended the call with Chief Vick. "What?" he asked expectantly. 

"I'm seeing something. A logo. It's blue. A diamond? A snowy mountain peak?"

"That's the logo of the hotel down the street from ours," Lassiter said after a moment. 

"That's where he's staying, I'm sure of it. The spirits were very clear."

"I'm still waiting for approval from Chief Vick. She's got to get proper clearance from Tahoe PD."

"Come on, man, are you really gonna sit here and do nothing?"

"You're the one who said to call the chief!"

"Yeah, because I know you're a stickler for the rules and stuff and I wanted to try and do this your way for once! Everything by the book 'cause I knew it was important to you to catch Gaston!" Shawn rambled wildly.

"That may be the hottest thing you've said all day," Lassiter practically growled.

Shawn's eyes went wide. "Really?" he cried over the loud music.

"If I wasn't waiting for a phone call from the Chief we'd be back in the room testing the strength of the kitchenette island right now," Lassiter said quickly.

Shawn stared at Lassiter, shocked and speechless. Movement in Gaston's booth caught his attention and he tore his gaze from Lassiter. Gaston was making his way through the bar to the large counter in the back. Probably to order more bottles for his table. Shawn took Lassiter's hand and pulled him away from their table.

"We're definitely going to talk more about how 'good behavior Shawn' floats your boat, but right now we have a wanted criminal to watch," Shawn said, nodding toward Gaston. They shoved their way through the crowded establishment toward the counter and hovered a few feet behind Gaston. He was indeed ordering more bottles for his table. 

"Perfect, Simon, perfect," Gaston called as the bartender passed two more bottles of expensive champagne over the counter. "It's a pitty I'll be moving on soon, you have such great service here!" He yelled as he moved again through the crowd to his table.

Just as Shawn was going to push through the crowd to follow Gaston, Lassiter tugged at his arm. "It's the Chief," he said grimly as he flashed his cell phone at Shawn. 

Shawn watched as Lassiter nodded slowly and began scowling. The news wouldn't be good.

"Tahoe PD does not want us to engage," Lassiter announced as he put his phone back in his coat pocket.

"What!" Shawn cried over the din in the bar.

Lassiter took Shawn's hand in his and started leading them back out of the bar. The drunken bodies out front had thinned out somewhat and they were back on the sidewalk quickly. 

"What's going on?" Shawn hissed as they made their way back to the hotel.

"Tahoe PD says they want us to back off. Apparently, Gaston hooked up with a group of local criminals they've been tracking for a while. They want to try and take them all down at once." Lassiter stared straight ahead as he walked, clenching his jaw. 

"That's not fair!" Shawn insisted. "He was a criminal in Santa Barbara first!"

"I know it's not fair, but there's not much I can do if I want to keep my job," Lassiter groused. 

They walked the rest of the way to the hotel in silence. Once inside, Lassiter tossed his coat on the armchair and headed for the bathroom. "You want to make some more hand prints with me?" he asked, tilting his head toward the shower.

Shawn smiled weakly at him. "Nah, I'm just gonna watch some TV." He threw himself down on the bed and snatched the remote off the nightstand. 

Lassiter squinted at him. "Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Just feel like taking in some mind-numbing television." Shawn shrugged as he clicked the remote and the TV came on.

Lassiter sighed and shut the bathroom door. Shawn was off the bed as soon as he heard the shower start running. He knocked frantically on the door separating his and Gus' rooms.

"Are you dressed?" Gus called through the door.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "No, I'm naked as the day I was born, banging your door."

Gus cracked the door open and took a peek. When he saw Shawn was in fact wearing clothes, he opened the door fully. "Where's Lassiter?" he asked, glancing around behind Shawn.

"Showering. How'd your ski lesson go?"

"I gave her my business card, personal number written on the back. She seemed pretty interested. Laughed at my jokes. All in all a good day. I think she'll call me tomorrow."

"That's great buddy, so you're free tonight then?"

Gus squinted at his best friend. "Why?"

"We need to go check out the hotel Gaston is staying at."

"I thought that's what you called Lassiter up here for," Gus said suspiciously.

"It's... complicated. Tahoe PD wants make the arrest, but it _should_  be Lassie's arrest. Are you coming or not?" Shawn asked as he pulled his gloves on once more.

Gus sighed and grabbed a scarf. "Which hotel are we going to?"

Shawn beamed at him. "That's the spirit dude!"

* * *

Lassiter exited the bathroom and was surprised to find the hotel room empty. He called out for Shawn and got no response. He was making his way over to knock on Gus' door when he caught sight of a note on the counter in the kitchenette. 

_Went out with Gus BRB! H 'n' K -Shawn_

Lassiter sighed deeply. He knew exactly where Shawn had gone. And it probably wouldn't end well.

Shawn and Gus sat in the lobby of Gaston's hotel, faces hidden by activity brochures. They hadn't been there very long before the fugitive himself breezed into the lobby, accompanied by two other men. Whatever they were talking about it, the conversation seemed a little intense. The man to Gaston's left shoved something at him. A poker chip, Shawn realized after a split second.

"All the casinos up here are on the Nevada side of the lake, right?" Shawn whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Gus whispered back.

"I think that's where Gaston is headed."

Shawn pulled his activity brochure closer to his face as Gaston walked through the lobby to the elevators, his new goons following closely behind. Shawn's phone buzzed in his pocket. He waited until the elevator doors shut, with Gaston inside, before his pulled his phone out. There was a text from Lassiter.

_Please tell me you're not where I think you are_

_Naked in your sedan?_

_I'm serious, Shawn_

Shawn watched as the numbers above the elevator lit up. They stopped at four. "They're on the forth floor," he hissed at Gus.

His phone buzzed again.

_Come back to the room. Now!_

Gus peeked over his brochure at Shawn. "What do we do now? We can't go across state lines, Shawn."

Shawn shoved his phone back in his pocket and tossed his brochure on a nearby table. He hopped out of his chair and made his way to the elevators, Gus following closely behind.

"What are we doing?" Gus asked nervously as he looked around the lobby.

"We're gonna check out the forth floor," Shawn informed him.

Gus followed him into the elevator hesitantly. "What are we gonna do on the forth floor, Shawn?"

Before Shawn could answer, his phone buzzed repeatedly in his pocket. Lassiter was calling. He weighed his options before accepting the call reluctantly.

"Hey, honey!" he said sweetly into the phone.

"Spencer, I'm going to kill you if you're at Gaston's hotel," Lassiter snapped on the other end of the call.

Shawn laughed nervously. "Why would I be at Gaston's hotel?"

"Because you're you," Lassiter stated obviously.

The elevator dinged. They were passing the third floor.

"I'm going to have to call you back, Lassie. Gus needs my impeccable wing-man skills."

Shawn could hear Lassiter begin screaming his name as he pulled the phone from his ear and ended the call. "I'm never going to find out how sturdy the kitchenette island is after this," he mumbled.

Gus wrinkled his nose.

"Sorry," Shawn sighed.

The elevator finally came to a stop on the forth floor and the doors slid open. Gaston stared back at them from the hallway.

* * *

Lassiter tossed his phone down on the bed in the hotel room and shrugged his coat over his pajamas. He switched his slippers out for proper shoes, snatched his phone back off the bed, and headed out the back door. He put a call through to Chief Vick as he walked briskly through the cold night. 

"Lassiter, I told you --" Chief Vick began

"Chief, I need support from Tahoe PD," Lassiter cut in quickly.

"What happened?" she asked seriously.

"Nothing, yet, but I think Spencer --"

" _Spencer_? What is Mr. Spencer doing in Tahoe? Why didn't you mention this before? What is going on, Carlton?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. If he said he'd gone up there at Shawn's urging to track down Gaston it probably wouldn't thrill the Chief. If he said he was up there on a romantic getaway with Shawn it would bring prying eyes into his private life. All he really knew was that he was trying not to panic thinking about Shawn getting himself into a whole new heap of trouble. 

"Spencer may have had a... vision... while on vacation and I came up here to help him check it out," Lassiter explained weakly.

"So he called you and told you he had a _vision_  and you just... hopped in your car and drove the eight hours up to Tahoe to check it out with him? Carlton, you don't even believe him when he's in our own precinct," Chief Vick said skeptically.

"He said it was a very strong vision," Lassiter offered unconvincingly. "Look, I think he might be in trouble now. Or about to be in trouble. I need Tahoe PD to get over to the Blue Alpine Hotel. Now."

Chief Vick sighed. "I'll make a call."

Lassiter thanked her and ended the call just as he arrived at the hotel. He walked into the lobby and looked around intently. Not a trace of Shawn. Or Gus. 

Gus! He pulled his phone back out and tried to call the man. It rang endlessly and went to voicemail. Lassiter sighed and ended the call without leaving a message. He tried to think what Shawn would do in his situation.

He strolled over to the counter at the back of the lobby and gave the receptionist his best smile. He glanced quickly at her name tag. "Hi there, Linda, I was wondering if you could help me out," he said in a low voice.

The woman gave him a weak smile and nodded. 

"I went out for a smoke and forgot my keycard and my friend seems to be out of the room at the moment. Is there any way you could get me another keycard so I could get back in?" He gave her another winning grin and said a silent prayer.

The receptionist studied him carefully. "What room are you in?"

"You know, I can't even remember. It's been so crazy since we got here," he laughed quietly. "The room is under my friend's name though. Gaston."

Linda gave him another once over and typed a few things out on her computer. She sighed before clicking on something a few times and looking seriously at Lassiter. She grabbed a newly-minted keycard and passed it over the counter. "Forth floor, room seventeen. _Don't_  tell my boss."

Lassiter stared at her in shock for a second before he remembered to smile. "Thank you, Linda. Just between you and me," he said with a wink as he headed for the elevators.

"I can't believe that worked," he hissed to himself as the doors slipped closed and he hit the button for the forth floor. The elevator lurched upward and Lassiter took a deep breath. He was trying his hardest not to think of every terrible scenario he could be met with once the elevator reached its destination. Tahoe PD would be there shortly and everything would be fine he reassured himself. 

The doors finally slid open and Lassiter stepped out into the hallway. He searched quickly for room seventeen. The sound of Gus shrieking made his job easier. He ran to the door and pressed his ear to it. Shawn was rambling away inside.

"Look, I'm telling you the truth! We were just here on vacation, minding our own business! If you let us go now, we won't tell anyone what you're doing here. We'll go home!" Shawn's muffled voice filtered through the door. Then there was hectic shouting.

Lassiter pulled his gun from his ankle holster and counted to ten before slipping the keycard in the card reader on the door. The card reader beeped and all the commotion in the room stopped. Lassiter flung the door open quickly and entered the room. 

Shawn and Gus were seated on a sofa, Gaston holding them at gun point. Two men stood behind him, arguing. Lassiter immediately pointed his gun at Gaston. "Drop it!" he yelled. The two men behind Gaston pulled guns of their own.

"Tahoe PD is en route as we speak. Think carefully," Lassiter warned.

"Carlton!" Gaston called bemusedly, "Funny you should show up here!" He pointed his gun at Lassiter.

"You really thought I was just going to forget about you?"

"I was willing to take my chances," Gaston laughed.

Lassiter sneered at him. "That was awfully stupid of you."

"I figured you'd be angrier at Shelly. She was the one who wanted to kill you, after all."

"That whole incident did bring us together though," Shawn added thoughtfully from the couch.

"Shawn," Lassiter growled warningly.

Shawn squirmed on the couch and one of the goons pointed his gun at him. Lassiter shifted his aim to the man, finger twitching on the trigger. He heard the elevator ding in the hallway, heavy steps coming down the hall. Backup had arrived. Lassiter stared at Shawn seriously. 

The door to the hotel room was kicked open suddenly and Shawn dropped to the floor, taking Gus with him. Lassiter took his shot, and the goon who'd aimed his gun at Shawn stumbled backward. Another shot rang out from somewhere to Lassiter's right and the second goon went down. Gaston dropped his gun and thrust his hands into the air. 

"Drop your weapon!" a loud voice called, and Lassiter realized they were talking to him. He dropped his gun immediately. "I'm a cop," he reassured as he pulled his badge from his coat pocket. The other officer nodded curtly and Lassiter made a beeline for Shawn.

"Shawn," he said quietly as he dropped to his knees. He placed his hands on Shawn's shoulders and squeezed gently.

Shawn's head popped up swiftly. "That was awesome, Lassie," he grinned. "Gus? You all right buddy?" he asked as he reached out for his best friend.

Gus jerked his arm away. "You owe me another 'BFF vacation', Shawn!" 

Lassiter smiled despite his best efforts and pressed a quick kiss to Shawn's temple. "I'm glad you're okay."

Gus huffed as he sat up and brushed his shoulders off. "How do you always manage to find trouble?" he groused at Shawn.

"Gus, please, trouble finds _me_. You think I planned this whole vacation knowing Gaston would be up here?"

"I'm starting to think you might have," Gus snapped as he stood up.

Shawn rolled his eyes and got to his feet as well. Lassiter stood up and studied Shawn carefully. "Can I talk to you outside?" he asked as he tugged Shawn toward the door. After being told to stick around for questioning by the Tahoe PD, the two slipped out into the hallway.

"Guster has a point you know. You do always seem to find trouble," Lassiter said sternly. Shawn stared at his shoes. "Do you know how scared I was waiting in that elevator?" Lassiter went on, getting angrier as he had more time to think. "Do you ever think about your own safety, Spencer?"

Shawn reached out and took Lassiter's hand in his own. "I do. Sometimes. Usually when I'm in a bind."

Lassiter sighed deeply. "That's exactly my point! What if I'm not there next time? What happens then? I was so scared --"

Shawn leaned over quickly and pressed a firm kiss to Lassiter's lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered against the taller man's warm lips.

Lassiter took a steadying breath and leaned back to look Shawn in the eye. "Just promise me you'll be more careful from now on."

Shawn ducked his head. "I promise," he whispered. 

Lassiter pulled Shawn into his arms and hugged him tightly. Shawn nuzzled against his chest and sighed contentedly. Gus cleared his throat loudly and they both looked up in mild shock.

"Get in here, buddy," Shawn chuckled as let go of Lassiter with one hand and waved Gus over.

Gus looked at Lassiter apprehensively before he stepped over to give Shawn a quick side-hug. Lassiter rolled his eyes. Shawn was always going to drive him crazy, but he wouldn't have it any other way. 

"Should we go test the strength of the kitchenette island now?" Shawn asked excitedly.

Gus made a disgusted and somewhat horrified sound. "I'm _right here_ , Shawn!"

"Sorry," Shawn groaned.

"We have to stick around to give our statements, remember?" Lassiter said, stifling a yawn.

Shawn pouted and rested his head against Lassiter's shoulder. "Not the kind of long night I'd hoped for," he complained.

Gus stared daggers at him.

* * *

Gus shoved a smoothie into Shawn's hand and yawned. They stood out on the patio their hotel rooms shared, watching Lassiter through Shawn's window. He was pacing through the room, talking on his cell phone. 

Shawn took a sip of his smoothie and frowned. "This isn't pineapple."

"They didn't have pineapple, Shawn," Gus said with an edge to his voice. "It's five in the morning, I didn't have a lot of options."

They'd been up all night answering questions from the Tahoe PD. Everyone was exhausted but there were still a couple of lose ends to tie up. Mostly with Santa Barbara PD.

"So is Lassiter in trouble?" Gus asked as he sipped his own smoothie.

"Nah, I think it'll be okay. He didn't do anything too drastic."

Gus nodded thoughtfully. "At least they caught Gaston before he could steal from any casinos out here. I can't believe he really thought he'd get away from Lassiter and set up shop counting cards on the state line."

Shawn hummed in agreement.

"Did you know he was up here?" Gus asked cautiously.

"I _may_  have used some of the googling knowledge you have bestowed upon me over the years to try and track down a wanted criminal," Shawn said slyly.

Gus rolled his eyes. "You know, you could have just told me that instead of luring me out here on a fake 'BFF vacation'."

"It wasn't fake!" Shawn insisted. "Who says you can't apprehend a wanted man while on vacation with your best friend?"

"Why didn't you just ask Lassiter to come up here with you on a romantic getaway?"

Shawn chewed on his smoothie straw for a moment. "Honestly, I didn't know if that would ruin everything. I thought if I tried to do anything to make it _official_  between us he'd freak out and never speak to me again."

Gus gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

The door to Shawn's hotel room opened and Lassiter walked outside. He plucked Shawn's smoothie out of his hands and took a sip. "This isn't pineapple," he said as he looked at the smoothie in confusion.

"How'd it go with the Chief?" Shawn asked as he took his smoothie back.

"Everything is fine, she worked out all the details with Tahoe PD. They'll be keeping their own local criminals and Gaston will be transported back to Santa Barbara," Lassiter explained.

Shawn beamed at him. "That's great, Lassie!" He pecked the detective on the cheek. 

"We also have to have a briefing with Vick when we get back about our relationship," Lassiter added quickly.

Gus choked on his smoothie. "Congrats on catching your man, Lassiter. I think I'm going to try to get some sleep now," he said sheepishly as he left Shawn and Lassiter out on the patio.

"You told the Chief about us?" Shawn gaped at Lassiter. 

"I figured it was for the best. Did you really want to keep sneaking around?"

"It _was_  kinda hot. But no, it would have gotten old and impossible after a while."

Lassiter leaned down wrapped his arms around Shawn's waist, drawing him in for a soft kiss. " _You're_  impossible," he laughed against Shawn's lips. 

Shawn tugged at the collar of Lassiter's coat. "Test the kitchenette island with me?"

Lassiter pulled them back through the hotel door. "On one condition," he said as he nibbled his way down Shawn's jaw. Shawn hummed. "We stay in bed all day after that," Lassiter whispered as he tossed his jacket on the floor.

Shawn gave him a wicked smile. "You've got a deal."

**Author's Note:**

> Just something short and sweet and nonsensical because we all know Lassiter would never let a wanted man actually get away. And I totally wanted an excuse to write more for this pairing.
> 
> Kudos and comments literally make my whole day :)


End file.
